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By JAMES STAFFORD, Oilprice.com
This is part two of a two-part piece. Part one can be found here.
James Stafford: Related to this, where do you see Canada's oil and gas industry 10 years from now?
Chris Cooper: I see the oil and gas industry in Canada continuing to grow with the advancement of new drilling techniques and new innovations in exploiting existing pools to increase the recoverability. We have a stable political system in place which enables business opportunity to grow in Canada.
James Stafford: We hear a lot about Alberta, but what kind opportunities are we looking at in Saskatchewan?
Chris Cooper: Saskatchewan is definitely open for business. The royalties paid in Saskatchewan are very low and the production opportunities are very good. We are actively looking for new opportunities in Saskatchewan.
James Stafford: Do you lend any significance to Canadian media reports that the Cabinet is reviewing some new legislation that would set stiff payouts for the oil industry for accidents?
Chris Cooper: Personally, I think it is part of the grand plan to help the approval process. My theory is that the Canadian government will lay out a plan for big fines and then push to have the pipelines approved. The construction of pipeline projects creates jobs and would be good for the economy.
James Stafford: Do you think this is simply a carrot for the protesters at a time when the Enbridge hearings are raising tensions?
Chris Cooper: There will always be protesters.
James Stafford: What do you see happening to energy markets in 2013?
Chris Cooper: I see the price of oil and gas both increasing. They are depleting resources….it's an inevitable function of supply and demand.
James Stafford: What are your views on the Keystone XL Pipeline? Do you think it is likely that Obama will approve its construction, and if so how will this affect your business?
Chris Cooper: I think he will approve it. The Governor of Nebraska gave the new route the okay. I think now that Obama has been re-elected he will go ahead and approve. Again, that is a lot of job-creation for an economy that is struggling. More pipelines are good for Canadian producers as it helps get our oil to market.
James Stafford: What are Aroway's top three plays, and why?
Chris Cooper : Our current plays all have different risk and production profiles. We have a large inventory and land spread in our JV lands in the Peace River Arch, which provide a healthy mix of development and exploration risk. Very big upside in this play.
Our West hazel production play is a very stable, long-term production scenario that we feel will provide great cash flow and netbacks to the company. For little investment we feel we can substantially increase production at West Hazel.
Our Kirkpatrick Lake and Little bow lands in central Alberta are also very prospective properties that have the ability to turn into new core areas for the company. All our properties are oil focused and are highly prospective.
James Stafford: What can we expect from Aroway in 2013?
Chris Cooper: I am confident 2013 will be a big growth year for Aroway. We will continue to drill on our existing properties and leverage our production and financial position to take advantage of existing and upcoming opportunities in the sector as far as acquisitions and potential farm-in opportunities. We are confident it will be a big year for our shareholders.
James Stafford: 2013 has been touted as the year of the merger and acquisition. As one of the hottest investments around at the moment, do you think that Canadian junior oil & gas companies, like yourselves, will become a favored target for larger oil companies looking to expand?
Chris Cooper: I think I can speak for most junior companies when I say, 'I hope so'. There are a lot of big companies that need to fill the production gaps in their natural depletion, thus in some cases forcing big companies to do that through acquisition. I think the goal for most juniors is to be taken over by a bigger company at a nice premium for the shareholders.
What's your take? Please feel free to comment below!


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Heavy Metal Historian
Episode 56:
We enter the late Nineties to explore the genre that has been the most divisive among fans: Nu Metal. Ascending from Groove Metal, we will be looking into how the styles of Thrash, Alt Rock, Punk, Rap, Hip-Hop, & Reggae laid the foundations for the scene to emerge. We explore the stylistic origins of Nu Metal…
Hosted by Greg Davies, the Heavy Metal Historian Podcast delivers to you snippets of tales from years gone by in the world of Metal, one episode at a time.
Clips and Sources
Good Will Hunting – The best Robin Williams scene
INTERVIEW WITH DEVIN TOWNSEND by JAROSŁAW NYCKOWSKI – e-gitarzystaTV
Vincent Van Gogh Visits the Gallery – Vincent And The Doctor – Doctor Who – BBC
Metal News Links
CHUCK MOSLEY, Former FAITH NO MORE Singer, Dead at 57
Denmark's Prime Minister Gifted Indonesia's President a METALLICA Box Set
DEVIN TOWNSEND Announces Next Album Is Called "Empath"
GWAR Guitarist BALSAC Diagnosed With Bone Marrow Disorder
Indonesian President May Have To Give Up METALLICA Box Set
JUDAS PRIEST Release Cover Art and First Music from Upcoming "Firepower" Album
JUDAS PRIEST To Release 'Firepower' Album; North American Tour Announced
MALCOLM YOUNG, AC/DC Guitarist And Co-Founder Dies At Age 64
METALLICA, MASTODON, MEGADETH, and More Get the Garbage Pail Kids Card Treatment
PENTAGRAM's BOBBY LIEBLING Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Abuse and Neglect
ROB ZOMBIE Making 3rd Movie in the HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES / THE DEVIL'S REJECTS Series
TWIGGY RAMIREZ Fired From MARILYN MANSON's Band After Ex-Girlfriend's Rape Accusation
Recqommended Listening:
- "This Love" by Pantera from Vulgar Display of Power
- "Break Stuff" by Limp Bizkit from Significant Other
- "Wherever I May Roam" by Metallica from Metallica: The Black Album (1991)
- "Change (In the House of Flies)" by Deftones from White Pony
- "Wait and Bleed" by Slipknot from Slipknot
- "Christian Woman" by Type O Negative from Bloody Kisses
- "Life" by Devin Townsend from Ocean Machine
- "Rise" by Pantera from Vulgar Display of Power
- "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin from The Essential Janis Joplin
- "Symphony No 7 Op 92" by Beethoven from Beethoven: Symphonies Nos.5 and 7
- "Cross Road Blues" by Robert Johnson from Robert Johnson's Blues Collection
- "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" by Miles Davis from Bitches Brew
- "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic from Maggot Brain
- "Help" by The Beatles from Help!
- "That Smell" by Lynyrd Skynyrd from Street Survivors
- "Between the Bars" by Elliott Smith from Either / Or
- "Mother" by Pink Floyd from The Wall
- "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang from Rhino Hi-Five: The Sugarhill Gang
- "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five from The Message
- "Fuck tha Police" by N.W.A. from Straight Outta Compton
- "Love will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division from Substance
- "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran from Rio
- "You Spin Me Round" by Dead or Alive from Evolution
- "I am Immortal" by Mortal Sin from Face of Despair
- "Bring the Noise" by Anthrax and Public Enemy from Attack of the Killer B's
- "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn" by Beastie Boys from Licensed to Ill
- "Give it Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers from Blood Sugar Sex Magik
- "Get the Funk Out" by Extreme from Extreme II: Pornograffiti
- "Epic" by Faith No More from The Real Thing
- "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies" by Faith No More from King for a Day
- "Head Like a Hole" by Nine Inch Nails from Pretty Hate Machine
- "Disconnect" by Rollins Band from Weight
- "Up to Our Necks in it" by Skunkhour from The Essential Skunkhour
- "(Can't You) Trip Like I Do" by Filterand The Crystal Method from Spawn: The Album
- "Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against the Machine from Evil Empire
- "Blind" by Korn from Korn
- "Daddy" by Korn from Korn
- "Faith" by Limp Bizkit from Three Dollar Bill, Y'all $
- "Born Under a Bad Sign" by Albert King from Born Under a Bad Sign
- "Guerrilla Radio" by Rage Against the Machine from The Battle of Los Angeles
was performed and written by AGAINST 72 – used with permission

subset: commoncrawl


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Personalize your style! These colorful stackable band rings make customizing your look a cinch. Crafted from polished platinum over sterling silver, each band hosts seven round gemstones in a rainbow of choices and comes in a wide range of sizes so you can have pieces on every finger. A cut-out undergallery keeps this ring comfortably snug on your finger. Choose from your favorites to create your own effortless, elegant set!
Click here to find your ring size.
Gemstones may vary in color and/or pattern. Please allow for these natural variations. All weights pertaining to gemstones, including diamonds, are minimum weights. Additionally, please note that many gemstones are treated to enhance their beauty. Click here for important information about gemstone enhancements and special care requirements.
Platinum Plating:
Platinum can be used as a finish coating over sterling silver or copper alloys. Its bright, pure luster enhances the brilliance of gemstones and does not discolor or oxidize. Platinum plating is also characterized by its good resistance to surface abrasion, making jewelry pieces more durable against everyday and long-term wear. Over time, platinum plating will wear off and therefore will require re-plating.
To care for your plated jewelry items:
Amethyst, the most precious member of the quartz family, exhibits purple shades ranging from pale lilac to deep purple, sometimes exhibiting reddish or rose overtones. Very deep-colored amethysts are the finest and most highly valued . Some stones are so over-saturated with color they have areas that are blacked out, which can negatively impact their value. Paler shades, sometimes called "Rose of France," were common in Victorian jewelry. Banding—darker and lighter zones of color—is also a common occurrence. Occasionally, amethyst is even found combined with its sister quartz, citrine, into a single stone called ametrine.
The birthstone for February, amethyst is an extremely popular gem for jewelry because of its regal color, variety of sizes and shapes, affordability and wide range of hues. It also is the recommended gem for couples celebrating their 6 th and 17 th wedding anniversaries. With a hardness of 7.0 on the Mohs Scale , a methyst can occur as long prismatic crystals that have six-sided pyramids at either end, or can form as drusies that are crystalline crusts that only show the pointed terminations.
The ancient Greeks believed that amethyst made one immune to the effects of alcohol. In fact, the name even comes from the Greek word amethystos, which means "not drunken." Legend has it that the amethyst originated from Bacchus, the god of wine. Bacchus became angry at the mortals and vowed that the next mortal to cross his path would be eaten by tigers. Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden, was on her way to worship the goddess, Diana. Diana turned her into colorless quartz to keep her from being eaten. Bacchus observed the miracle and repented his hasty decision. He poured wine over the young maiden, leaving her feet and legs colorless. This is the reason that amethyst crystals are usually uneven in color and have a colorless base at the bottom. Because amethyst was believed to prevent drunkenness, wine goblets were often carved from it in ancient Greece. Today, the gem still symbolizes sobriety.
Amethyst has been a part of history throughout the ages. Evidence suggests that prehistoric humans used amethysts for decoration as early as 25,000 B.C. Legends suggest that the Egyptian queen Cleopatra wore an amethyst signet ring, as did Saint Valentine, who bared an amethyst engraved with the figure of Cupid. During medieval times, people used the stone as medication to stay awake and alert. Leonardo Da Vinci claimed that amethyst could dissipate evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence. In some legends, the stone represents piety, celibacy and dignity. In the Middle Ages, for instance, the gem was an important ornamentation for the Catholic Church and other religions. It was considered the stone of bishops, and they still often wear amethyst rings. In Tibet, amethyst is considered sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often made from it. Amethyst has also long been a favorite of kings and queens for its royal purple hues that symbolize wisdom, strength and confidence. Amethysts are even featured in the British Crown Jewels and were worn by Catherine the Great.
Amethyst's availability and magical qualities make it the stone of preference in ancient lore and mysticism. As a meditation stone, it is said to quiet the mind, promote contemplation, sharpen psychic powers and uplift the spirit. It is a stone of deep wisdom. Folklore says it can quicken the wit, calm fears and ward off anger. It has a royal purple essence that is said to lend courage to travelers, scare off thieves and protect travelers from harm. Placed under the pillow or worn to bed, there are claims it promotes peaceful sleep and pleasant dreams. Amethyst can also be worn to supposedly make the wearer gentle, amiable and happy.
The stone is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina, as well as in Zambia, Namibia and other African nations. Very dark amethyst in small sizes also is mined in Australia. But the ideal for fine quality amethyst was set by a Siberian variety, often called Russian or Uralian amethyst, which is now considered a defunct source. Generally, South American amethyst tends to come in larger sizes than African amethyst, but the African variety has a reputation for having deeper color intensity and is therefore considered more valuable. The African version also is harder to come by than amethyst mined from South America. Most of today's amethyst comes out of Brazil.
Lune de France is a very special variety of amethyst that rarely comes to market. From the northwest state of Amazon in Brazil, this gemstone comes from the Maraba mine. This lovely lilac gemstone features a unique velvet-like quality that at first observation can be confused for an opal or moonstone. The gemstone's internal structure contains natural, cloud-like veils of microscopic inclusions that are extremely minute, even under high power magnification. These inclusions cause the incoming light to scatter and reflect, thus creating an opalescent effect. While a similar inclusion structure can be expected in rose quartz, it almost never occurs in an amethyst. Lune de France features a natural lilac color and retains excellent transparency allowing it to be faceted for maximum light play.
Iolite gets its name from its sensational color, using the Greek words ios (violet) and lithos (stone). The stone, often referred to as water sapphire, cordierite or dichroite, was used by the Vikings as a navigational tool and came to be known as "Vikings' Compass." When Viking explorers ventured far into the Atlantic Ocean, away from any coastline that could help them determine position, they were able to navigate safely by looking through iolite lenses that allowed them to find the exact position of the sun.
The property that made iolite so valuable to the Vikings was the gem's pleochroic property, which is the display of different colors when viewed from different directions (like a modern-day polarized filter used in sunglasses). A cube cut from iolite will look violet-blue from one side, clear as water from the other and honey yellow from the top.
Pleochroism may have been helpful in navigation, but it makes a gem cutter's job quite difficult. If iolite is not cut from exactly the right direction, its color will not show to its best advantage. When cut properly, the stone is usually a violet blue and can be obtained in sizes up to 5.00 carats relatively easily. Iolite ranks a 7.0-7.5 on the Mohs Scale and is readily available and affordable. Today, it is mined in Brazil, India, Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The Vikings probably mined iolite from deposits in Norway and Greenland.
Traditionally given as a 21 st anniversary gift, iolite is thought to bring harmony to relationships. It is also said to balance the masculine and feminine aspects of one's own character, bringing harmony and enabling that person to enjoy each moment. Iolite is believed to heighten psychic abilities by aiding and encouraging people along their spiritual paths. It is said to enhance curiosity and achievement, and aid in money management. Iolite is also believed to possess the power to guide lost sailors to the brilliance of the sun, so that they may find their way home.
Known for its fiery combination of colors, opal is called the "Cupid stone" because it was said to reflect the complexion of the Greek god of love. The ancient Romans believed the gem was the symbol of hope, good luck and purity. Today, it remains a symbol of hope and inspiration. With a name stemming from the Latin word for "precious stone," opal is considered October's birthstone and is traditionally given as a 14th anniversary gift.
Opals are luminous and iridescent stones with inclusions of many colors called "fire." It is sometimes called the "queen of gems" because it can flash patterns of color representing every hue of the rainbow. In fact, most stones are usually cut into domed cabochons to enhance the color play. The brilliance and pattern of an opal's fire determines its value. Opals with strong flashes of red fire are generally the most prized, while stones with blue or green flashes are more common and subsequently less valuable. Stone size also helps determine price, since the gem is very rare in larger sizes.
In order to produce a stone that is less expensive than a solid opal, an opal doublet can be manufactured. It is composed of a thin layer of opal glued on top of another mineral (usually a black onyx or ironstone, which enhances the opal's color). An opal triplet can be made with a thin layer of opal sandwiched between a layer of clear quartz on top and a layer of obsidian or ironstone on the bottom. The clear quartz top layer makes the gem harder and less susceptible to scratches. Since top-quality natural opals are extremely rare and expensive, many are treated with colorless oil, wax or resin to enhance their appearance. Ranking a hardness of 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs Scale, these treatments also fill cracks in the stone to improve durability.
A species of quartz, opal is one of the few gemstones that are sedimentary in origin. Millions of years ago, after ancient seas receded, silica-laden sediment was deposited around shorelines. Erosion made much of this silica into a solution that filled cracks in rocks, clay and fossils. Layers upon layers of silica jell were added to each other over millions of years and became precious opals. The stones still contain 6 to 10 percent water, a remnant of ancient seas. Because they have high water content, opals should be protected from heat and strong light in order to prevent them from drying out and cracking.
Opal is found in a range of hues, including white opal (the most common), black opal (the most valuable), boulder opal (black opal with iron oxide), crystal or water opal (which is transparent), and fire opal (which features a bright solid color). The body color determines the variety of opal and has a large impact on the value.
White opals tend to have more diffused fire due to their light background color. Rare black opals have a black to dark gray body color that allows for the fire to be the most noticeable, making them the most valuable type of opal. Boulder opals are cut with the natural host rock left on the back. They are found with interesting hills and valleys on the surface and inclusions in the foreground, forming odd shapes that make them a designer's delight. Crystal opal is transparent with flashes of rainbow colors, while fire opal only occasionally has this play of color. Fire opal's backdrop color is the main attraction. With bold yellows, oranges or reds, it is usually faceted to add sparkle and enhance the fabulous color.
The vast majority of the world's opal supply comes from Australia, first discovered there by gold panners in 1863. In addition to a small quantity of opal produced in Kenya and Canada, white opal is mined in Brazil, black opal is found only at Lightning Ridge in Australia, crystal and fire opal can be found in the United States and Mexico, and a blue-green opal is found in the Andes Mountains of Peru.
Opals have been treasured for thousands of years throughout the world. The gem was loved and highly valued by the Romans, who called it "opalus." In fact, a beautiful opal called the "orphanus" was featured in the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor and was said to guard the regal honor. The Aztecs mined opal in South and Central America and archaeologist Louis Leakey found 6,000-year-old opal artifacts in a cave in Kenya. Napoleon gave Josephine a beautiful opal with brilliant red flashes called "The Burning of Troy," making her his Helen. To this day, opals are still set in the crown jewels of France. Queen Victoria loved opals and often gave them as wedding gifts. She was one of the first to appreciate opals from Australia and, along with her daughters, created a fashion for wearing the gemstone.
There are also several literary references to the fascinating stone throughout history. Shakespeare regarded opal as a symbol of shifting inconstancy, comparing its play of color to play of mind. In "Twelfth Night" he wrote, "Now the melancholy God protect thee, and the tailor make thy garments of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is opal." In the 19th century, Sir Walter Scott caused a reputation that opals were unlucky. The heroine of his popular novel had her life force caught in the opal she wore in her hair and died when its fire was extinguished.
For thousands of years, opals have been revered for their supposed mystical powers. Romans thought the stone kept the wearer safe from disease and wore it near the heart on necklaces to ward off evil and protect travelers. Ancient Arabs believed that opals fell from heaven in flashes of lightning, which explained their fiery colors. During the Middle Ages, opal was called "ophthalmios," meaning "eye stone," due to a widespread belief that it was beneficial to eyesight. Some thought its effect on sight could render the wearer invisible, and the stone was even recommended for thieves. In medieval Scandinavia, blonde women wore opals in their hair to prevent it from going grey.
Today, opals are still believed to hold magical powers. White opals, when used in rituals on a full moon night, are said to bring the moon goddess' powers into full effect within the practitioner. Specially shaped black opals are often worn on gold jewelry to further enhance their magical properties and powers. A fire opal surrounded with 10 or 12 diamonds and worn on a gold necklace is said to have excellent money-drawing power.
Opals have been said to bring good luck, grant vigor and ideally protect travelers. The stones have long been believed to develop and increase mental capacities and open the unused powers of the mind. The colorful fire in opals is said to develop a more creative imagination and help recall past lives. It is believed that the most magically powerful opals come from Lightning Ridge in Australia and that the gem loses its power once its owner dies.
Peridot features a lively yellow-green color that is transparent with an oily luster. The iron that creates peridot's color is an integral part of its structure, so the gem is only found in various shades of green. It is most prized in lime hues, but Italian peridot is a rich olive color and popular American peridot is a beautiful light yellow-green. The Romans called peridot "evening emerald" because its exquisite green color was said to glow at night. This is perhaps because the stone exhibits double refraction, meaning that when looking through the stone, objects appear double. So when looking into a faceted peridot, the number of bottom facets appears to be double the actual number, creating a glittering sensation.
Pronounced PEAR-A-DOE, the word "peridot" comes from the French word meaning "gem." It is the gem variety of the mineral olivine and ranks a 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs Scale.
Born in cauldrons of fire, peridot is considered the "volcanic gem," since small crystals of it are often found in the rocks created by volcanoes. In fact, Hawaiian legend called peridot the divine tears wept by Pele, goddess of the volcano. The island of Oahu even has beaches made out of olivine grains, but they are much too small to cut into peridot. Samples of the gem also have been discovered in meteorites that have fallen to Earth, many of which are more than a billion years old.
Peridot traces its jewelry roots to 3,500 years ago. The stone was first mined by the ancient Egyptians on the volcanic island of Zebargad in the Red Sea. Known as the "serpent isle," it was infested with poisonous snakes that interfered with mining activity until one Pharaoh had them all driven into the sea. Today, Native Americans mine most peridot on the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona. Interestingly, a lmost all peridot sold in Hawaii is from Arizona, despite the fact that peridot is produced by Hawaii's volcanoes. The gemstone is also found in Norway, Brazil, China, Egypt, Italy, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. An exciting new deposit was discovered in Pakistan in 1994, yielding some of the finest peridot ever seen, including one stone that weighed more than 300.00ct.
Peridot is among the oldest known stones and has been mined as a gem for thousands of years. As early as 1575 to 1350 B.C., the ancient Egyptians used peridot beads in their ceremonial jewelry. In fact, it is believed the stone was one of the favorite gems of Cleopatra and that some of the "emeralds" she wore were actually peridot.
Ancient Egyptians also carved small drinking vessels out of large chunks of peridot. Priests would drink soma from them in rituals, believing the soma would put them in touch with the nature goddess, Isis. Legend has it that King Soloman traded cedar trees from Lebanon for 12 soma drinking cups and 144 liters of soma. The Egyptians made this trade for ramp logs to build their pyramids at Gisa, while King Soloman was said to have been enlightened by drinking soma from the peridot cups. Today, Mexican hill tribes still drink soma from green glazed cups to put them in touch with nature and their ancestors' spirits. Additionally, some Native American Indians in Arizona use tea made from peyote ground with peridot crystals in their rituals.
Peridot has also been important to other cultures throughout history. Late in the Ottoman Empire (1300 to 1900), peridot was a highly prized gem and Turkish Sultans amassed some of the world's largest collections of the gemstone. It is mentioned in the Bible under the name of "chrysolite," and was used to decorate medieval churches with samples that were most likely carried back to Europe by the Crusaders. Large stones weighing more than 200.00ct adorn the Shrine of the Three Magi at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
Throughout the ages, peridot has been believed to hold mystical powers of protection and healing. The ancients regarded the stone as a symbol of the sun and wore it in amulets to prevent nightmares and drive away evil spirits. It was even favored by pirates to protect them against evil. Peridot was said to be useful for calming raging angers, curing nervous afflictions and promoting quiet sleep. It was also believed to strengthen any medicine drunk from goblets carved from the stone. South American Shamans used peridot to ward off snakebites and the evil spirits who have taken the form of mosquitoes who bring the sleeping sickness. They also say the heating of magic mushroom tea by peridot takes them on trips to the ancestor heavens.
Today, peridot is believed to bring the wearer success, peace and good luck. To be most powerful, it is said that the stone should be mounted in gold and surrounded with small diamonds. With powers that are thought to bring protection and health, modern folklore also says it can be used to attract love and calm anger while soothing nerves and dispelling negative emotions. T he gem is believed to protect the wearer from bad dreams when set in gold.
Peridot is considered the birthstone of August. Given as a symbol of fame, dignity and protection, this gem is also traditionally given to couples celebrating their 16 th wedding anniversaries.
With its uniquely mystical appearance, quartz was the "rock crystal" used in ancient times to make crystal balls. It was believed to attract energy and is still considered to be spiritual today. The gemstone was once believed to be a compact form of ice. In fact, the Greeks originally named quartz "krystallos," meaning ice, but this terminology soon applied to any type of crystal.
Often identified by its six-sided prism shape, quartz is the most common mineral on Earth, found in nearly every environment throughout the globe. With a ranking of 7.0 on the Mohs Scale, it is a component of almost every rock type and occurs in virtually every color imaginable. Quartz has a great amount varieties that are well-known by other names, including amethyst, citrine, ametrine, rock crystal, agate, druzy, chalcedony, tigers eye and many more. There are also several varieties that hold the name "quartz," including rose quartz, smokey quartz and rutilated quartz.
The pale pink color of quartz is known as rose quartz, the traditional gift for couples celebrating their 2 nd anniversary. It is a delicate powder pink color that ranges from transparent to translucent. Transparent rose quartz is quite rare and is usually so pale that it does not show much color, except in large sizes. The translucent quality of rose quartz is much more common and is used for jewelry and carvings.
Rose quartz is probably one of the most prized stones for its mystical properties. Known as the "Heart Stone," it is believed to have incredible powers to balance emotions and open the heart. Folklore says rose quartz can comfort brokenhearted people, bringing healing and clarity to the heart and allowing the wearer to learn to trust again. The stone is also said to foster happiness and the joy of life by bringing about contentment in love and filling one with optimism, tenderness and gentleness.
In addition to helping with romantic love, rose quartz is believed to enhance all other forms of love as well, including self-love, platonic and maternal. Its loving, nurturing energy is said to take away fears, resentment and anger and replace them with feelings of higher self-esteem and confidence. This soothing stone is also thought to balance emotions and heal emotional wounds. It is said to be especially powerful in times of stress or loss, bringing peace and calm to the wearer.
Ranging in color from nearly black to smoky brown, smoky quartz is transparent and owes its warm earthen hue to exposure to natural radioactivity. Care must be taken since its rich color will fade in the sun. Spelled either "smoky" or "smokey," this variety of quartz is often incorrectly called "smoky topaz."
Smoky quartz is believed to help dissolve negative energy and release stress. It is said to be a mild sedative with a relaxing effect that calms, soothes and restores balance and harmony. Folklore says the gem can embrace dark areas with light and love and therefore clear and cleanse the body both physically and emotionally. Smoky quartz is thought to be a warm, friendly and down-to-earth gem.
Rutilated quartz is a type of transparent rock crystal that contains long, fine needles of rutile crystals (titanium dioxide). These highly valued inclusions form a landscape of shining gold needles in an array of patterns that is breathtakingly beautiful. These golden inclusions are also known as Venus hair, Cupid's darts and fleches d'amour ("arrows of love"). There is a less well-known variety called tourmalinated quartz that, instead of golden rutile, forms black or dark green tourmaline crystals.
Although rutilated quartz is usually cut as a cabochon, it can be a difficult stone to attain a smooth surface without pits. This is because rutile ranks a 6.0 on the Mohs Scale , while quartz ranks 7.0. The difference in hardness between the two materials, and because of the way rutile forms inside, causes problems when cutting. Each final cut piece is unique, with no two being exactly alike. Modern folklore says rutilated quartz brings forth each person's strengths, originality and ability to relate to others.
Tourmalinated quartz is a clear form of quartz with silver-tone filaments and threads of black tourmaline running through it. Because tourmalinated quartz is a combination of quartz and tourmaline, it has influences and characteristics of both these gems.
All quartz rock that is absent of color is deemed rock crystal. This category of quartz has the clarity of pure water, without as much as a hint of pigment. While this colorless quartz is too common to be considered a precious gemstone, it is still beautiful, as well as affordable. Rock crystal is commonly used in decorative carvings, figurines and chandeliers. It is also easy to cut, making it well suited in the creation of eye-catching jewelry.
Phantom quartz is a variety of quartz which, over the course of millions of years, forms over existing rock crystals. It takes its name from the particular structure of the trigonal crystals that form within its shape, known as the phantom. Found mostly in Austria, Brazil, Madagascar, Switzerland and the United States, phantom quartz can also be found in smoky quartz, citrines and amethysts. These phantoms, or the inner crystals, are usually composed of other minerals such as chlorite, goethite, hematite or even other kinds of quartz like the smoky and milky quartz.
Mention of phantom quartz is found in 2000-year-old texts where it was believed to have formed on ice hidden in dark caverns for millions of years. This ice, when exposed to extreme cold, got encased with the quartz, thus trapping the phantom within. Perhaps because of their elusive beginnings, phantom quartz are sometimes referred to as ghost crystals, specter crystals or even shadow crystals.
Often referred to as the "Queen of Garnets," rhodolite is the violet-red variety of the garnet family. Its most prized color is a beautiful raspberry, but the gem can also be found in shades of pink, red and wine. The name is derived from the Greek words "rhodon" and "lithos," meaning rose-stone, which connects the gemstone today with the raspberry-pink flower known as the rhododendron.
Rhodolite is a combination of almandine and pyrope garnets. Although it is occasionally found in volcanic rock, the stone is most often found in alluvial deposits in the form of water-worn pebbles. For this reason, large solitaires weighing 5.00ct or more are seldom seen at retail. Most rhodolite is mined in Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. It ranks a 7.5 on the Mohs Scale and is ideal for jewelry.
The ancients wore rhodolites as amulets for protection from injury or death in battles. Modern folklore says rhodolite can help one understand dreams, as well as bring about love and devotion when given as a gift.
An ancient Persian legend states the Earth rests on a gigantic sapphire that gives its blue reflection to the sky. The most popular colors for sapphires range from light blue to a blue that appears black. Hence, the name was derived from the Latin form of the Greek word for blue, "sapphirus." These blue colors are caused by iron and titanium in the stone. Bright daylight makes most sapphires shine more vividly than the somewhat muted artificial light. So the most highly cherished color for blue sapphires is not the darkest blue, but a deep and satiated blue, which even in dim, artificial light remains to appear blue.
While sapphires are best known for being velvety blue, it was decided long ago to consider all gemstones of the mineral family corundum to be sapphires. Non-blue sapphires are termed "fancy" and can be nearly any color, including yellow, green, white, pink, orange, brown, purple and even black. Red corundum is the exception, however, and was given the special name of "ruby."
In lighter-colored sapphires, the shade of color is determined by how the stone is cut. A cutter must take special care with sapphires. Not only do they rank a 9.0 on the Mohs Scale, second only to diamonds in hardness, but they display a different coloring and satiation depending on the perspective. The cutter must align the orientation of the stone in such a way as to bring about the best possible display of color.
There are a great number of varieties of sapphire, many of which are quite rare and highly sought-after in the gemstone market. A rare orange-pink variety, known as padparadscha, can be even more valuable than blue sapphire. Given the poetic name meaning "lotus blossom," it features a delicate orange color with pink undertones
Another rare variety of sapphire is known as the color-changing sapphire. This stone exhibits different colors in different light. In natural light, color-changing sapphire is blue, but in artificial light, it is violet. This effect is the same phenomenon seen in alexandrite.
For experts and connoisseurs, the Kashmir-color is considered the most beautiful and valuable shade. It features a pure and intensive blue, which is enhanced by a fine, silky gloss. Its color does not change in artificial light, but remains intense with a deep, velvety sheen. Setting the standard for the color of top-quality sapphires, Kashmir sapphires were found in 1880 after an avalanche. They were intensely mined for only eight years until the source was depleted. The Burma-color is also considered especially valuable, ranging from rich royal blue to deep cornflower blue. Ceylon sapphires are prized as well for the luminosity and brilliance of their light to medium blue color.
There is a translucent variety of sapphire, called star sapphire, which displays a six-point star when cut into a smooth domed cabochon. The mineral rutile is embedded in an asterisk-shape within the stone, causing light to reflect in a phenomenon called "asterism." Six- or twelve-ray stars appear to magically glide across the surface of the stones as they are moved. Star sapphires and rubies are expensive rarities and should always display the stars exactly in the center of the gem. The star stone is said to be the home of each person's angel, who lives there in contentment with the sapphire's spirit.
White sapphires have become a very suitable diamond substitute. With their high light refraction and level of hardness, they provide a less expensive alternative that is still very capable of turning heads with a very convincing sparkle.
The oldest sapphire mines are situated in Ceylon, where gemstones were mined in ancient times. Most blue sapphires today come from Thailand or Australia, but sapphires from Kashmir and Myanmar are highly prized. A large sapphire occurrence stretches across several miles in Madagascar. There are also two large occurrences in Tanzania, where smaller, yet high-quality sapphires are found. The stone is also mined in many other parts of the world.
Sapphires are readily available in sizes of up to 2.00ct, but gems weighing 5.00-10.00ct are not unusual. The cushion-cut Logan Sapphire from Sri Lanka weighs an astounding 423.00ct and can be seen at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. There is also a 258.00ct stone set in the Russian crown, which is kept in the Diamond Fund in Moscow.
Because the gem has long symbolized sincere love and enduring faithfulness, blue sapphires are often given in engagement rings to express commitment and loyalty. Many women throughout the world decide on the blue stone for their engagement rings, as the gem also represents truth, friendship, harmony and consistency. Sapphire blue has become a color related to anything permanent and reliable, making it an ideal stone to symbolize the promise of marriage.
Often referred to as "Gem of the Heavens," sapphire also symbolizes a noble soul. It is September's birthstone and is traditionally given as 5th and 45th wedding anniversary gifts. Star sapphires are given for the 65th anniversary. The color sapphire-blue is known for representing clarity and competence. In fact, the first computer to ever declare victory over a chess grandmaster and world champion was named "Deep Blue."
Sapphires have been associated with magical powers throughout the ages. The Greeks identified white sapphires with Apollo and the oracles at Delphi used them to tap into the subconscious and super conscious. In the 13th century, it was said that when worn, sapphires cooled the inner heat of anger. Soldiers wore them to prevent capture by enemies and kings wore the gemstone to defend against harm and put themselves in divine favor. This supposed "divine favor" is why sapphires were often the gemstone of choice for high priests and royalty throughout history. In fact, the British Crown Jewels contain a number of notable sapphires.
During the Middle Ages, sapphires symbolized the tranquility of the heavens and wearing them was thought to bring peace, happiness and purity of the soul. Medieval priests and monks would wear sapphire jewelry believing it had the ability to quell wicked impulses and impure thoughts. The color blue became the symbol of the union between a priest and the heavens, so sapphires came to be adorned on the rings of bishops.
Today, sapphires are still believed to hold special powers. It can be considered an aid to psycho kinesis, telepathy and clairvoyance, while providing spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. White sapphires, like diamonds, are considered the guardians of love, enhancing it and ensuring fidelity in marriage. The most powerful type of the gem is said to be the star sapphire. They are believed to protect against negative energy and have a calming effect that allows the mind to experience tranquility, joy and clear thinking.
A symbol of strength and intelligence, topaz derives its name from Topazios, an island in the Red Sea that is known today as Zabargad. The Greek word "topazios" means "to seek," since the island was covered with a thick fog and difficult to find. Gemstones found on the island were called topaz, although the stones were eventually found to actually be peridot. The real gem of topaz is found throughout the world, with different occurrences producing specific colors.
Brown, yellow, orange and red topaz are found in Brazil, Sri Lanka and Siberia. Most brownish topaz is heated to produce a permanent and glamorous pink color. Following the discovery of pink topaz in Russia during the 19th century, Imperial topaz was found. Featuring a sherry red, deep pink or reddish-orange color, the gem was so coveted that its ownership was restricted to the Czar, his family and those who received it as a royal gift. Today, Imperial shades are the most rare and, therefore, the most valuable.
Blue topaz is rarely found in nature and is most often created through a combination of heat treatment and irradiation. It is found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and China. Topaz is often colorless, too, and can be found in the United States, Mexico, Russia and Pakistan. In 1998, a new type of enhanced topaz made its appearance with a greenish-blue or emerald green color. All colors of topaz rank an 8.0 on the Mohs Scale of hardness.
Yellow topaz is November's birthstone and blue topaz is December's birthstone. Blue topaz is also the traditional gift for 4th and 19th wedding anniversaries, while Imperial topaz is celebrated as a 23rd anniversary gift. Perhaps the most famous topaz is a large, colorless stone known as the Braganza. It was discovered in Brazil in 1740 and was originally thought to be a priceless diamond. Today, the giant 1,680.00ct stone is set in the Portuguese Crown.
Paraiba color topaz is vibrant greenish blue designed to resemble the rare Paraiba tourmaline gemstone from Brazil. Typically, a blue or colorless topaz is heat treated to create the intense and desirable Paraiba color. White (or colorless) topaz is a budget-friendly alternative to diamonds.
The mystery and allure of topaz goes back thousands of years. To the ancients, it was a symbol of love and affection and was thought to ward off sudden death. The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, the god of the sun. The Greeks called it the Stone of Strength, believing it had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. The Egyptians said the gem was colored with the golden glow of the sun god, Ra, making topaz a powerful amulet that protected its wearer against harm.
Topaz' mystical curative powers were believed to wax and wane with the phases of the moon. The gem was said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink and falcons were carved on the stones to help earn the goodwill of kings and magnates.
Today, topaz is said to be the gem that has the widest range of curative powers. It is believed to dispel enchantment and protect against negative emotions such as anger, fear, greed and envy. Its properties are supposedly enhanced when the gem is mounted in gold. Because of this association with gold, topaz is used to bring or enhance the wearer's money-gathering abilities and has long been used in money and wealth rituals.
Wearing topaz is said to improve and deepen relationships, promote patience, ensure fidelity and enhance the ability to love. The gem is also believed to bring friendship, intelligence, long life, beauty and a pleasant disposition.
Tourmaline occurs in virtually every color of the spectrum, with an unlimited range of solid and mixed colors in all imaginable shades. According to an ancient Egyptian legend, this is the result of the gemstone traveling along a rainbow from the Earth's heart, up to the sun. On its journey, the legend says that tourmaline collected all the colors of the rainbow, which is why it is called the "Rainbow Gemstone."
The gem is found in hues of red, pink, green, blue, yellow, black, brown and colorless. It also can be bi-colored or multi-colored. Some tourmalines are very faint in color, while others are so dark that the color is only discernible when light is shone through the stone. There are even tourmalines that change their color from daylight to artificial light.
Tourmalines displaying just one color are quite rare since one crystal usually shows two or more shades or colors. In fact, the name "tourmaline" has been derived from the Singhalese expression "tura mali," which translates to "stone of mixed colors." Even two stones cut from the same rough mother crystal will often show different colors, a characteristic that makes tourmalines so attractive and sought-after.
Tourmaline also shows a remarkable dichroism. This means that when viewed from different directions, the stone will display different colors, or at least show different intensities. The deepest color always appears along the main axis, a fact that is important for the gem cutter to focus upon when cutting the stone. Tourmalines rank a hardness of 7.0-7.5 on the Mohs Scale and may be as small as a knitting needle or as thick as a thigh. They are easily available in sizes of up to 5.00ct.
Different shades of colored tourmalines have been assigned specific names in the gemstone world. Bi-colored and multi-colored tourmalines have several names for the common combinations of colors. Crystals with red or pink cores and green borders are called watermelon-tourmalines. Stones with colorless crystals and black tips are called Maur's Head or Moor's Head, while colorless crystals with red tips are called Turk's Head. If the color zones are arranged one on top of the other, the stone is considered a rainbow tourmaline.
The red variety of tourmaline changes its name based on the coloring in different types of lighting. Deep red tourmaline named rubellite shows the same fine ruby-red shade in daylight and in artificial light. Should the color change when the source of light changes, the stone is simply called a pink tourmaline. With its exquisitely intense coloring, rubellite was once the victim of misidentification for rubies in the Russian crown jewels.
Green tourmalines come in a variety of shades, including leek-green, intense yellow-green, olive-green and brownish-green. Chromium-tourmaline is the trade name for the emerald-green variety. Its beautiful color is strikingly similar to the fine color of emeralds. Blue-green and dark bottle-green are the most rare and highly coveted green hues.
Perhaps the most beautiful variety is the Paraiba tourmaline. It ranges in color from electric blue to neon blue-green to sizzling turquoise. Discovered in the Brazilian state of Paraiba, its vivid color has not been consistently seen in any other gemstone variety. Its spectacular color is due to the presence of a small amount of copper. A study by the German Foundation for Gemstone Research also discovered a surprisingly high content of gold in the stones.
Until recently, there was one striking gap in the range of colors displayed by tourmaline. Pure yellow shades were missing and most of the yellow tourmalines that were found showed a slightly brownish tinge. In the year 2000, however, electric yellow tourmalines were found in Malawi in East Africa. With a clear and pure color, they were deemed "canary tourmalines" and the formerly missing color of yellow was added in excellent quality to the unlimited range of tourmaline colors.
Larger yellow tourmalines rarely occur. Only 10 percent of all the mined yellow stones are gem-quality and when cut, more than 95 percent of the harvest will weigh less than 1.00ct. Regardless of their smaller size, experienced cutters love working with the stones. Not only do they have brilliant color, yellow tourmalines are considered to be the only gemstones that have a fine scent. This is because in the place of their occurrence, tourmaline crystals are often embedded into black material that must be removed before the stones are cut. An owner of a Malawi gemstone mine discovered the black matter was easily removed when the rough crystals were boiled in water and lemon juice. Ever since then, yellow tourmalines from Malawi not only resemble fresh lemons in color, but also in their scent before they are cut.
Other tourmalines are called "indigolith" if they are blue and "dravite" if they are golden to dark brown. Black tourmalines are known as "schorls" and are mainly used for engraving. Although they were used as mourning jewelry, ancients believed black tourmalines to be stones that protected against negativity and strengthened the heart.
Tourmalines are piezoelectric, meaning they can generate electrical charges when heated, compressed or vibrated. They then become polarized crystalline magnets and can attract light objects. The Dutch knew about this effect and used heated tourmalines to extract ashes from their pipes. The stones were even favorite toys of Dutch children before their gem quality was established. Because the gem's electrical charges attract dust and small materials, some believe that wearing pink tourmalines will attract love and green ones will attract success.
Tourmaline has often been called the "muses' stone" because it is believed that its imaginative colors contain inspirational powers that grant enlightenment, enable creativity and express an artist's mood. Due to the stones' energetic conductivity and vast array of elements, they are thought to have powerful healing abilities and protect against many dangers. Tourmaline is supposed to be an especially powerful influence on love and friendship, fostering compassion and cool headedness. It is considered the traditional gift to give couples celebrating their 8th wedding anniversary.
Ever since the ancient days, the gem has been attributed with magical powers. Today, specific colors of tourmaline are thought to hold individualized powers. Black is believed to bring luck and happiness when rubbed. Green is said to encourage communication and bring success, while blue is a balancer that stimulates other tourmalines' effectiveness. Watermelon tourmaline is believed to increase perception and creativity, while balancing passivity and aggressiveness. Pink is thought to promote peace, increase spiritual understanding and bring forth love and friendship.
Garnet comes in a vast rainbow of naturally exquisite hues, occurring in every color except blue. It is the family of minerals that displays the greatest variety of colors than any other mineral. The eight major types of garnets include almandine, pyrope, demantoid, grossularite, tsavorite, hessonite, rhodolite and spessartite.
Named after the ancient gemstone city of Alabanda in Asia Minor, the most common type of garnet is almandine (also called almandite). It is a dark red to brownish red stone that is only slightly different from the chemical structure of its sister stone, called pyrope. While nature only grows pyropes in small sizes, it allows for almandine crystals to form in larger dimensions.
Pyrope is a high-quality garnet that can be purplish red, blood red, orange-red or crimson. It is often called the Bohemian garnet since its fierce and often slightly bronze color was highly popular in the 18th and 19th century when it came from the north-eastern part of the former Kingdom of Bohemia. In Europe during the Victorian times, pyrope garnets frequently decorated jewelry with many of these small stones tightly arranged along each other like the seeds of a pomegranate. In fact, the name "garnet" most likely was derived from the pomegranate, a fruit whose deep, red-purple color resembles some varieties of the gem. Many ancient pieces of garnet jewelry are also studded with the tiny red gems.
Demantoid is a rich green variety of garnet primarily found in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Russia's leading court jeweler, Carl Fabergé, loved this brilliant garnet more than any other stone and used it in many of his creations that were lavishly adorned by the Tsars of Russia. Today, demantoid is appearing more often in the gemstone market because of new finds in Namibia. However, these particular garnets from Namibia lack "horsetail-inclusions," the fine bushy-shaped inclusions that are characteristic of the sought-after Russian demantoids. The gem is quite rare and can cost several thousand dollars per carat depending on size and quality. The larger, brighter demantoid s are exceedingly scarce and have been known to show exceptional brilliance, even higher than diamonds.
Grossularite, available in pinks, browns, greens and yellows, is especially cherished because of its many in-between shades and earth colors. In the last year of the 20th century, large grossularite occurrences were discovered in Mali. Charming because of their high brilliance, the Mali garnets make even the brown color attractive and vivid.
Tsavorite is the trade name for a fine green grossularite. It ranges from vivid light green to velvety deep green and, like all other garnets, features a strikingly high brilliance. Tsavorite was discovered in 1967 by British geologist Campbell R. Bridges, and was re-named by Tiffany's in New York after its occurrence near the famous game park Tsavo-National Park. Mined in Tanzania and Kenya, this particular stone is quite rare and can cost several thousand dollars per carat depending on size and quality. Larger tsavorites are exceedingly scarce.
Hessonite is the variety name for a fine orange, cinnamon brown or pinkish variety of grossularite. It most commonly occurs in golds, oranges and browns.
Rhodolite is a pyrope-almandine garnet that features a velvety red color with a fine purple or raspberry colored undertone. One of the most popular varieties, it is mined in East Africa, India and Sri Lanka and was originally discovered in the United States.
Spessartite garnet can be red or blackish brown, but is most commonly available in golds, oranges and warmer browns. Originally named after its occurrence in the German Spessart Mountains, there was a surprising discovery of the bright orange-red stone in Nigeria and Namibia. Until then, spessartites had existed as mere collector's items or rarities and were hardly ever used for jewelry because they were so rare. But the new location discovery changed the world of jewelry gemstones and spessartites made their way into jewelry fashion. The most popular type of spessartite is the mandarin garnet, a gem that features a bright orange hue.
Traditionally given as 2nd wedding anniversary gifts, garnets are celebrated as January's birthstone. They are found all over the world, including Africa, Australia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North America, South and Central America, and Southeast Asia. The garnet ranges from 7.0-7.5 on the Mohs Scale and has been given many different names throughout the gemstone trade, including Arizona Ruby, Arizona Spinel, Montana Ruby or New Mexico Ruby. The stone features a high refraction of light that creates an amazing brilliance and luminosity. In fact, Noah used a garnet lantern to illuminate the darkness and navigate the Ark through 40 days and nights of torrential rain.
Throughout history, garnets have been widely known and prized for their rich hues and supposed mystical properties. Adored by the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis, the gem symbolized faith, truth and friendship and was a favorite of Egyptian jewelry artisans. Garnets were taken into the tombs with the dead as payment to the gods for safe passage through the nether world. It is said that King Solomon wore a large red garnet along with eleven other magical gems in his breastplate (representing the 12 steps of Jacob's Ladder) to help him win battles. Nineteenth-century Asiatic warriors even used the hard stones as bullets. In the 13th century, medieval travelers wore garnets as popular talismans and protective stones, many of which were carved with lions. The gems were thought to repel evil spirits, bad dreams and people with evil intent.
Today, garnets are thought to have protective powers and can be carried by travelers to protect against accidents. The stone is said to light up the night and protect its owner from nightmares. It is also believed to strengthen the body and mind by sparking creativity and dispelling anger. People may use the stone to increase the power of their energy fields and gather good vibes. Current superstitions say that the stone symbolizes loyalty and can be exchanged between friends to symbolize affection and ensure they meet again.
The name apatite comes from a Greek word "apatos," meaning deception, which alludes to the mineral's similarity with other more valuable minerals such as olivine, peridot and beryl. It can be transparent to opaque, with color that is typically green but can also be yellow, blue, reddish brown, violet and colorless. This gem exhibits an unusual "partially dissolved" look similar to the look of previously sucked-on hard candy.
Apatite is widely distributed in all rock types, but is usually just found as small grains or fragments. Large and well-formed crystals, though, can be found in certain contact metamorphic rocks; but with a hardness of 5.0 on the Mohs Scale, the softness of apatite prevents wide distribution in the jewelry market. Apatite occurs generally in rather rough prismatic crystals, the largest being 4 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.
In most limestone quarries, careful search shows the presence of small prisms of bright green apatite in the limestone. Notable occurrences include Germany, Brazil, Russia, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Canada, East Africa, Sweden, Spain and Mexico.
The great imposter of gemstone history, many famous rubies have been found to actually be spinels. Perhaps the most famous of which is the Black Prince's Ruby. Once worn by Henry V on his battle helmet, this 170.00ct red spinel is now set in the British Imperial State Crown. Another famous misidentification is the Timur Ruby, a 352.00ct red spinel now owned by Queen Elizabeth. This particular stone is engraved with the names of the Mughal emperors who previously owned it.
History is unclear whether these mistaken identities were merely accidents or clever substitutions of rubies for the less valuable spinels by dishonest jewelers. In Burma, spinel was recognized as a separate gem species in 1587, but the masquerade lasted for hundreds of years after that in most other countries.
Spinel carries a considerable amount of worth not only based on its history, but due to its brilliance and wide range of spectacular colors. When interpreted by the Greek, the word "spinel" means "spark" in reference to its beautiful sparkle. While a rich red is the most common color, spinel can be found in shades of pink, purple, green, brown or black. An exceptional color from Burma is a vivid hot pink with an orange undertone. Spinel can also come in a beautiful blue hue, sometimes called cobalt spinel, but this color is quite rare.
The main obstacle holding back greater recognition for spinel is rarity. Fine spinels are now more rare than the rubies they used to imitate. Strangely, however, they are also more affordable, since too rare can be a drawback because such few people have the opportunity to grow to love them. The most beautiful colors of the stone are mined in Myanmar (formerly Burma), but spinels are also found in Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Russia. They have a hardness of 7.5-8.0 on the Mohs Scale and are traditionally given as a 22nd wedding anniversary gift.
About the Collection
For nearly 30 years Gem Treasures has created vibrant genuine gemstone jewelry with an abundance of personality. Focused on the latest in jewelry industry trends, the Gem Treasures collection offers a spectrum of visual impact with lasting style.
Expand your jewelry wardrobe with a variety of inspired looks from the meaningful and collectible to the whimsical or rainbow-inspired, each gem design will showcase your unique personality and be your lasting treasure.


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Dirty Down Ageing Sprays are designed to dirty and age costumes and props, used in films, TV and theatre.
These sprays are semi-translucent, water-soluble dyes so you can still see the surface beneath them, they can be made wet again even after being left to dry and can be smudged with a damp cloth to give the effect of real stains.
Apply them to most fabrics, glass, mirrors, leather, timber, furniture, paper, card, metal, painted surfaces, plaster, brickwork, stone, plastics and more.
However Dirty Down is a dye, please be aware it may cause semi-permanent discolouration to all types of absorbent and non-absorbent surfaces.
Ageing Sprays are solvent based.
Quick and easy to use.
400ml Can
Basic Usage Instructions


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By Stephanie Sibal, KF14, Cambodia
In the last few weeks, while hopped up on caffeine from too many cups of instant coffee, when I was approached and asked to create a marketing plan for MAXIMA, the microfinance institution (MFI) hosting my Kiva Fellowship in Cambodia, I overeagerly agreed.
Prior to my fellowship, I spent some time working in public relations, so the task of creating a marketing plan wasn't completely new to me. In order to get started, I needed to figure out how MAXIMA markets to its borrowers in the first place. I knew the first place to start was the ever-important loan officer.
"Today, we're advertising."
Loan officers have an unbelievably difficult and labor-intensive job. They have a long list of responsibilities: traveling long distances to meet with new or existing clients, disbursing a microloan, and collecting repayments. (Previous Kiva Fellows have written about the jobs of loan officers, in Vietnam and Ecuador)
Last week, I asked to tag along to with Vanna, one of MAXIMA's loan officers, and found out exactly how crucial loan officers like him are to MAXIMA's marketing program.
In short, he and other loan officers like him ARE the marketing program.
By nature of his job, Vanna is the main point of communication between lenders and borrowers. He explained to me that when he finishes visiting with clients, his next main task is to "advertise" and seek out new clients. This means, of course, asking current clients if they know of anyone who is interested in starting a business and in need of a loan, or meeting with neighbors of a client.
We leave the office bright and early at 7:30 a.m., grab some baguettes for lunch on the way. The rest of the day was spent meeting almost a dozen different people. I watched him as he explained the terms and processes associated with taking out a small loan, and also let borrowers know about new products—a new type of loan, or the availability of a savings account. In essence, loan officers are a microfinance organization's PR people.
Because of this, an MFI's human resources department (if one exists) is tasked with hiring the right people—hopefully natural communicators, and candidates who know their territory. MAXIMA in particular, has a number of loan officers who hail from the very provinces they are serving, which makes it easier to create and build relationships with borrowers.
Listening and growing with the needs of borrowers
Once a borrower is finished repaying their loan, it's important to listen to client feedback in order to move forward and continue the level of service that an MFI promises. In MAXIMA's case, it's through listening to client feedback that they developed a new type of loan.
The new loan product includes a different loan term and amount than MAXIMA's other loan products, all requested by MAXIMA's borrowers. It's now one of their most popular loans to date. Kimseng, MAXIMA's executive director, explained to me that much of this is affected by the changing purchase power parity in the country.
Loan officers such as Vanna now have an additional task of gauging borrower response to their satisfaction with their loans, and must know the right questions to ask in order for MFIs like his to create or change their products to truly serve their customers.
"The relationships we have with our borrowers are what make us so different," said Kimseng. "It's why we are here to work."
Keep microfinance in motion. Lend to an entrepreneur on Kiva today!
Stephanie Sibal is a part of Kiva's KF 14 Class working with MAXIMA Mikheranhvatho Co. Ltd. In Cambodia. Her least favorite phrase in marketing/business jargon is "low-hanging fruit."
Want to be a Kiva Fellow? Learn more about the Kiva Fellows Program.


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Hi folks,
I would like to detect an end-of-line in my .txt file but can't find the right way to do.
My program already detects the last word of the line so what I did is to look at each char of my last word using the "charAt()" method. More precisely, if I'm at position "i" of my word, I check whether the char(i+1) is equal to '\r' or '\n'.
Before that, I did a System.getProperty("line.separator") and it returned "\r\n". So obviously, the char right after the last char of my word should be '\r', no ?
When I'm positioned on the last char of my word and I try to do charAt(i+1), I get a "java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException".
My question is : how come I can't detect this '\r' with charAt() ? Is there some way to detect it ?
Thanks for your help!


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What if someone told you that a disastrous event is just days away from happening; one that will play havoc with the economy and bring pain and hardship to millions? What if the same someone told you that our government set this disaster in motion, and could easily stop it, but appears unable or unwilling to do so? You'd call them crazy, right?
Well, welcome to the insanity called "sequestration." Here's why and how it could trickle down into your life. Here's the truth and consequences of sequestration.
The Truth
"There's three sides," the saying goes, "to every story: yours, mine, and the truth." Let's start with the truth about the sequester.
As the sequestration clock runs out, Washington is shifting its from playing the "Blame Game" to figuring out how to put the brakes on Washington's latest custom-made crisis. Both sides, the White House and the GOP, have their reasons for the shift.
The president has traded the "Blame Game" for the bully pulpit. It's easy to understand why. Given the president's popularity and public support on most issues, it's no wonder President Obama is going over Congress' head, with a public education campaign designed to raise Americans' awareness of the sequester — and how the automatic across-the-board cuts will play out at the state level and closer to home.
Republicans were already losing the "Blame Game" a week ago, and this week polls still show that most Americans will blame Republicans in Congress for sequester-driven cuts. The sequester's automatic cuts will Republican-governed states hardest. Facing the possibility of economic disaster in their states, Republican governors are pressing Republicans in Congress to stop grandstanding and start figuring a way out of this mess.
No wonder Republicans don't like what Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, called the president's "road show" calling attention to the impact of sequestration's automatic cuts and the roadblock of the GOP's intransigence to increasing revenue.
While both sides indeed have pressing reasons to turn from pointing fingers to pointing a way out of the mess we're in, there's another big reason for opting out of "The Blame Game." If Americans look too closely into the story of how we got into this mess, neither Republicans nor Democrats come out smelling like roses.
"Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan," the old proverb goes. The sequester is one of the biggest examples of Washington's failure to address the crises facing the country, but it is not an orphan. This failure has more fathers than even a "Maury Povich Show" paternity test could begin to sort out.
Republicans aren't entirely wrong when they claim that the sequester was the White House's idea. The sequester was born of the failure of the deficit "super committee," which was itself a result of the failure of just about everyone in Washington to do their jobs.
The 2011 debt ceiling debacle led to the passage of The Budget Control Act of 2011, which established a bipartisan "super committee" tasked with coming up with $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction measures. According to Bob Woodward's book, "The Price of Politics," the idea for sequestration originated in the White House, when Chief of Staff Jack Lew and advisor Rob Nabors brought the idea to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the midst of the debt ceiling debate, as a means of avoiding default while leaving the door open to cuts later on. Ultimately, the sequester became part of the dastardly debt ceiling deal.
So, the concept of sequestration began with the White House. But that doesn't get us all the way to where we are today, just days away from suffering a major, self-inflicted economic wound. If the Obama administration gave birth to this bad idea, Republicans nursed it, fed it, gave it legs, and taught it to run.
It's hard for anyone except the most committed conservative conspiracy theorist to think that the Obama administration actually wants the sequestration cuts to happen. Sequestration, as originally conceived, was never intended to take effect.
Now, Congress, back in 2011, also passed a law saying that if both parties couldn't agree on a plan to reach that $4 trillion goal, about a trillion dollars of additional, arbitrary budget cuts would start to take effect this year. And by the way, the whole design of these arbitrary cuts was to make them so unattractive and unappealing that Democrats and Republicans would actually get together and find a good compromise of sensible cuts as well as closing tax loopholes and so forth. And so this was all designed to say we can't do these bad cuts; let's do something smarter. That was the whole point of this so-called sequestration.
Unfortunately, Congress didn't compromise. They haven't come together and done their jobs, and so as a consequence, we've got these automatic, brutal spending cuts that are poised to happen Friday.
The sequestration cuts were designed to be so incredibly stupid, painful and dangerous that lawmakers would be forced to come to some kind of agreement in order to avoid them. Unfortunately, that's not how it went down.
Thanks to Republicans, the "super committee" was pretty much guaranteed to fail.
From the beginning, tea party conservatives warned Republican leaders not to appoint anyone who might even consider closing tax loopholes to increase revenue. GOP leadership heeded the tea party's warning. All six of the GOP "super committee" members were signers of Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge. Republican co-chair Jeb Hensarling, R-Pa., firmly rejected new revenue, and instead laid out a plan to carve defense cuts out of sequestration after the failure of the "super committee."
A timeline of events produced by Center for American Progress shows how Republican intransigence sank the "super committee."
It documents the sad reality of both the Democrats' willingness to bend over backwards — even offering to sweeten the deal with cuts to Social Security and Medicare — and Republicans' refusal to even consider any deal that increased taxes on the wealthy. The result was the failure of the "super committee" and the birth of the sequester.
Republicans continued to insist that any deal to avoid sequester consist of spending cuts only, with no new revenue. On in the last week or so has the GOP show any sign of movement from that position. Some Republicans are now willing to deal, and Senate Republicans are debating plant to punt responsibility to the president.
Just last week, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was willing to put health care reform on the table and take health coverage away from 30 million Americans, rather than consider closing loopholes and raising taxes to increase revenue. Now, with cuts likely to devastate South Carolina (which Graham represents) looming even closer, even Graham is now willing to consider a plan to avert sequester even if it increases revenue.
But that still doesn't get us all the way to where we stand today.
Pundits and bloggers have dubbed it "The Sequester No One Wants," loaded with "big, dumb spending cuts that nobody wants to happen." That's not entirely true.
If the Obama administration introduced the concept of sequestration, Republicans embraced it. About a month before House Speaker John Boehner gleefully declared that he got 98 percent of what he wanted out of the debt ceiling deal, the speaker's office created a slide presentation designed to get the tea party and the rest of the GOP on board.
Not intended for the general public, the presentation framed sequestration as a means to conservatives' ultimate end: a huge reduction in federal spending.
Boehner's sales pitch worked. Ultra-conservatives love the sequester. Many House Republicans are on record as wanting it to happen. Even Republican leaders and high-profile members, like Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have publicly claimed to dislike sequester's cuts while simultaneously embracing them. Ryan has use the same cuts he objects to in the sequester as the "baseline" for his own budget.
The sequester is not an "orphan" in that old proverb about failure, but it's not exactly an "unwanted child" either. If the sequester happens, it will happen because Republicans want it to happen.
[P]ointing out Republican-caused harms to millions of people — many of them Republicans — does not sway the ultra-right. Why? Democratic pundits say that Republicans want to hurt the president, to show government doesn't work by making it not work, and to protect "special interests" from higher taxes. All true. But there is an additional and deeper reason. Ultra-conservatives believe that the sequester is moral, that it is the right thing to do.
Progressives tend to believe that democracy is based on citizens caring for their fellow citizens through what the government provides for all citizens — public infrastructure, public safety, public education, public health, publicly-sponsored research, public forms of recreation and culture, publicly-guaranteed safety nets for those who need them, and so on. In short, progressives believe that the private depends on the public, that without those public provisions Americans cannot be free to live reasonable lives and to thrive in private business. They believe that those who make more from public provisions should pay more to maintain them.
Ultra-conservatives don't believe this. They believe that Democracy gives them the liberty to seek their own self-interests by exercising personal responsibility, without having responsibility for anyone else or anyone else having responsibility for them. They take this as a matter of morality. They see the social responsibility to provide for the common good as an immoral imposition on their liberty.
Their moral sense requires that they do all they can to make the government fail in providing for the common good. Their idea of liberty is maximal personal responsibility, which they see as maximal privatization — and profitization — of all that we do for each other together, jointly as a unified nation.
They also believe that if people are hurt by government failure, it is their own fault for being "on the take" instead of providing for themselves. People who depend on public provisions should suffer. They should have rely on themselves alone — learn personal responsibility, just as Romney said in his 47 percent speech. In the long run, they believe, the country will be better off if everyone has to depend on personal responsibility alone.
Sequestration offers Republicans two potentially irresistible opportunities: the chance to bring President Obama down a peg or two, as well as a shot at implementing spending cuts that the majority of Americans have repeatedly rejected at the polls. The consequences of those spending cuts don't bother tea party conservatives in the least.


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William Chien, DMA
Saxophonist Dr. William Chien is a soloist, chamber musician and educator. He has performed
throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Dr. Chien holds the degree of Doctor of Music from
the University of North Texas, major in saxophone performance and related field in jazz study. His
primary teachers are Eric Nestler, Kenneth Radnofsky, Kenny Tse, Shuen-Wen Tung and Shyen
As a performer, Dr. Chien gives recitals and concerts all over the world, he has premiered many
new works at various international events such as World Saxophone Congress, North American
Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, Navy International Saxophone Symposium, Denton Jazz
Festival, Malaysia KK Jazz Festival, Taichung Jazz Festival and Taiwan National Recital Concert
As an educator, Dr. Chien has served as a committee member in the First Asian Saxophone
Congress, and was invited to be the judge for the jazz competition of the congress in 2016. Besides,
he also assisted many other important saxophone events such as Taiwan International Saxophone
Summer Camp and Taipei International Jazz Camp. From 2005 to 2009, Dr. Chien was the founder
of Taipei Saxophone Lecture Series and cooperated with other musicians, gave numerous lectures
and clinics in different universities and colleges in Taipei. Dr. Chien has previously served on the
faculty as Assistant Professor of Saxophone at Taiwan National Tainan University, National Sun
Yat-sen University, Taipei Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei Christ's College, Kuang Jen High
School and Taipei Hwa Kang Art School. He has been awarded the position of Teaching Fellow at
the University of North Texas from 2010-2013.
Dr. Chien is the author of "Saxophone Learning for Novices" and "Saxophone Altissimo",
published by Mercury Publishing House. Since 2017, Dr. Chien is an endorsing artist for Forestone


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This is the second installment: Last week, The Black Star News published an exclusive interview with Vincent Otti, the No. 2 man in the Lord's Resistance Army, covering a wide range of issues. Otti and other LRA commanders including Joseph Kony were indicted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges. They are accused of killing civilians, abductions of children, mutilations and other crimes. Otti denied the allegations and says LRA commanders won't surrender to the ICC.
Here, he discusses the impending peace talks with the Uganda government and he alleges that the ICC has ignored atrocities committed by Uganda government troops within Uganda and in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. [Congo President Joseph Kabila referred a complaint to the ICC which has since launched an investigation of Uganda's alleged atrocities, The Wall Street Journal reported June 8, 2006]. Otti called The Black Star's offices here in New York via satellite phone from East Africa. You may view Part 1 on the International Page here at BSN Online.
BSN: What do you have to say to the people suffering in the concentration camps (so-called IDPs)? They are dying in the camps. What do you tell them? The government says they are in the camps so the government can prevent the LRA from harming them.
OTTI: I tell you openly, those people in the concentration camps –the IDPs in northern Uganda, we did not send them there. Even you asking me the question even you know that! Even the entire world knows it is Museveni who gave 24 hours for everyone to go to those camps otherwise they would be shot. And those who delayed were shot from planes and bombed. People left without food, without their belongings. Instead, their sim sim (sesame), was taken away to Kampala, their millet was taken away to Kampala, their peas, taken away to Kampala. And then instead he [Museveni] says we were the ones who chased them to the camps. Museveni forced people into the camps—even you as you speak with me you know that people were given 24 hours to leave their villages and go into the camps.
When in 2000, Museveni came and launched an attack on us we entered Uganda—the first thing we did was to chase people from the camps back to their villages and we burnt the camps so people could return to their villages because we knew people were dying in the camps. But if they found people 1 mile away from the camp you would be accused of being a collaborator with the enemy (LRA). We knew people were dying in the camps particularly in Pabbo where the foodstock was being poisoned—that was in 1998. Food was being poisoned so people could go to the camps.
What Museveni wants is to take the land. Now I hear that he is distributing corrugated sheets [mabati]. That he will allocate 30 mabati to people and the rest of the land will become government land. That each homestead will get 30 mabati and 3 acres throughout northern Uganda. What Museveni wants is the land—our land.
BSN: What about the reports that the LRA want Ugandans to follow the 10 commandments—what is your response?
OTTI: I cannot deny that. These are the 10 commandments of God. Which one of them is bad? The first commandment? The second commandment? The third commandment? It is the truth because it is God's truth. It is God's commandments. They must be followed.
BSN: What about other faiths? What about Muslims in Uganda for example. They might say you are discriminating against them?
OTTI: Okay, Muslims in Uganda. If they believe in God, these 10 commandments are also in Islam. Islam also commands that thou shall not kill, thou shall not covet thy neighbor's possessions, thou shall not steal.
BSN: What has the LRA's fight against the Museveni government accomplished up to now? What benefits can you point to?
OTTI: The benefits—We have grown, we are strong. We are known around the entire world. The entire world knows that we are fighting to bring the 10 commandments as you asked. These are the benefits and we know that these 10 commandments of God that we are fighting for is true—the entire world now knows it. I don't know if you can hear me because it is raining so much, it is raining so much.
BSN: I can hear you. The government says it has defeated the LRA.
OTTI: I personally know that there is no defeat. And the entire world knows that there is no defeat. That is why people are calling for talks. Because people see the suffering of the people, the deaths. People say if two elephants are fighting the suffering is what? Who is suffering? The grass. So as the combatants, the government of Yoweri Museveni and the rebels of the LRA, in this fight of two combatants where there is suffering, let's see if we can talk. But about defeat—aaah! A defeated force does not have thousands.
BSN: How large is your army?
OTTI: We have soldiers. We have enough soldiers—in thousands.
BSN: Do you think Museveni is interested in peace?
OTTI: He is not interested in peace in northern Uganda because he has not yet accomplished his goal which is to take our land. If we are really to talk he knows we would defeat him—the issue of stealing our land, the issue of the 10 commandments, that is why he does not want to talk. That is why he wants to fight in order to exterminate. That is why he prefers warfare. He knows that in talks we will defeat him. With the land, he will not succeed in stealing it.
BSN: If you are asked, what was your original objective when you went to war how do you respond?
OTTI: First the issue of taking our land; the issue of exterminating our people; and the issue of the 10 commandments to rule Uganda. Because when we say 'for God and my country' but we don't really follow the words of God. Even our national anthem it starts with the name of God. 'Oh Uganda, may God uphold thee, We lay our future in thy hand..' Yet some people don't lay their future in the hands of God. They don't follow the words of God. They kill people randomly. Museveni has even killed people praying in churches.
BSN: There was a newspaper report [Wall Street Journal] that the U.N. is also investigating alleged atrocities by Ugandan troops in the Congo and that Museveni asked Kofi Annan to stop the investigation? Do you believe that Museveni's troops committed atrocities in the Congo?
OTTI: [Laughs] I know Museveni's soldiers committed much atrocities in Congo. Museveni's soldiers killed a lot of people in Congo. Secondly Museveni stole much resources from the Congo and killed President Laurent Kabila. Thirdly Museveni kidnapped women from the Congo, up to 50,000 are still in Uganda up to now. Many atrocities were committed and theft of timber, minerals and whatever—Museveni looted from Congo. Museveni cannot tell Kofi Annan, Museveni cannot tell the United Nations Secretary General not to do an investigation. He should be taken to court [If determined that atrocities were committed] or he should be removed because first of all he stole the elections [referring to Uganda's Feb. 23, 2006 Presidential election in which leading candidates were Museveni and Dr. Kizza Besigye].
BSN: And what about you? The ICC has indicted you and said that you and Joseph Kony and two others should also be taken to the court on war crimes charges.
OTTI: My answer is that I will not go to the UN court. These things were done by Museveni. If they are saying that rebel commanders should be captured then they should start with Yoweri. Yoweri is the first person who went to the Bush—in 1974. I remember I was still young in Primary School. Museveni recruited people in Atiak [in Acholi region] and he was training in Owori. When Idi Amin heard of this Museveni fled to the home of Tor Rwom and Tor Rwom's son, Amos Kibwona was arrested for that and shot by firing squad. Museveni escaped to the Sudan and then to Tanzania and later fought until they returned to Uganda with [Milton] Obote's people. Obote said let's have elections. There was elections—free and fair.
Museveni started his UPM—Museveni killed many people in Luwero and blamed Obote. Why is Museveni not indicted? After Museveni took over the government he killed many people in Atiak, Museveni killed many people in Anaka, Museveni killed many people in Soroti by suffocating some in railroad cars..he burned people alive. Yet they don't want to indict Museveni—why? And what have we done? We are fighting. When there is war and shooting people get caught in the crossfire.
BSN: What are your conditions for peace
OTTI: Right now I cannot reveal it. It is our secret. If the word gets out prematurely it gives the government an upper hand. It is our secret.
BSN: Do you want peace in Uganda?
OTTI: Yes, we want to stop fighting—we want peace.
BSN: What else can you say to the people of Acholi region [the war zone]?
OTTI: The people should unite so that we can protect our land and prevent the Ankoles from taking it. This has been our land for hundreds of years.
BSN: You say Museveni's soldiers committed atrocities, do you have evidence?
OTTI: Abundantly. These atrocities you see occurring that he says are committed by the LRA his soldiers are doing. We never had the means of communications before to tell our story.
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Good Question: Why Do Women Get Cellulite?Every year, people spend billions of dollars trying to get rid of cellulite, a condition that occurs in 70-90 percent of women. Men get it too, but it's very rare. So, that had us wondering: Why do women get cellulite? According to Dr. Elizabeth Farhat, a dermatologist with Allina Health Clinic, the big reason is hormones. Estrogen means women tend to have more fat than men, but where they store it and the structure of the skin play major contributing factors.


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Costco's magnanimous return policy was severely tested last week in Santa Clarita, Calif., when a woman returned her Christmas tree to the big-box store and asked for a full refund "because it was dead."
And even though Yule fir trees are pretty much dead once you chop them down a month or so before Christmas, she got her refund, according to another customer.
MERRY MULCH: Christmas trees in SF get second life as mulch
Scott Bentley was so outraged the woman's chutzpah, he posted a photo he took of her along with his commentary on Facebook.
I can't make this stuff up," Bentley wrote. "Woman in line at Costco, totally nonchalant, to return her Christmas tree 'because it is dead' on January 4.
"If I didn't see it, I wouldn't believe that someone had so little morel [sic] values or lack of conscience."
SANTA CAP SHOOTER: SF police release video of man in Santa hat wanted in Christmas shooting
While he did note that the woman did get shamed by store personnel and other customers — "to a small degree," he was also angry at Costco for allowing the "ridiculous" return.
A picture accompanying the post showed a woman with a red "X" over her face standing with a dead Christmas tree at the Costco customer service counter.